Page 193 of Possessive Sinner
"I have enemies," he continues. "Real ones. And now they know about you. About the babies." His gaze flicks briefly to my stomach before locking back onto mine. "One of the ways I protect what's mine is by making it clear—legally, publicly—that you belong to me."
My pulse stutters. Belong. The word shouldn't do anything to me. It does.
"This isn't negotiable, Audra."
Something hot and sharp flares in my chest. Anger. Fear. And rebellion.
"You don't get to just decide that," I snap before I can stop myself. "You don't get to decide when I get married. How I get married. That's?—"
"—exactly what I'm doing," he cuts in, not raising his voice, not losing control for even a second.
That should piss me off more. It does.
And it doesn't.
Because I understand him. I understand exactly why he's doing this. And I hate that part of me agrees. My mind flashes back, Pete, smiling, gentle, safe… and quietly making decisions that took my choices away piece by piece.
And Gabe… Gabe isn't pretending. He's not asking. He's telling me exactly what this is. No lies. No illusions. Just truth. Brutal and unfiltered.
I stare at him, with my heart racing, my thoughts spinning too fast to grab onto.
"I need a few hours," I object. "Just a few hours to think?—"
"No."
The word lands like a door slamming shut. My head snaps up. "Excuse me?"
"Because it won't change the outcome." He's still as calm as only Gabe can be. "No matter how long you think about it."
My temper sparks. "Wow. Good to know my opinion matters."
"It does," he assures me immediately.
My eyes narrow at him. His thumb presses more firmly against my hand, grounding me again, whether I want it or not.
"I see what's going on in your head," he continues. "The guilt. The grief. The part of you that thinks this is too fast." His gaze softens just a fraction. "I'm not dismissing that." His voice lowers. "But I'm not letting it put you in danger either."
Silence stretches between us. Heavy and charged.
"You almost died today," he doubles down. "I almost lost you."
That hits. Hard. Because I almost lost him too.
"And I'm not giving anyone another chance to take you from me. Not because of timing. Not because it feels sudden. Not because it's inconvenient." His eyes lock onto mine. "You are mine. Those babies are mine. And I protect what's mine."
My breath catches. God. I want to fight him. I want to push back. To argue. To demand control over something—anything—in this moment. But beneath all of that… there's something else. Something quieter. Stronger.
A truth I can't ignore. Pete had taken my choices without ever letting me see it happening. Gabe lays his at my feet and dares me to walk away.
I don't. Because, despite everything—The fear. The anger. The chaos of it all—I trust him. More than I probably should. More than makes sense.
My fingers tighten around his.
"God, I hate you a little right now," I whisper.
His mouth twitches. "I know."
I let out a shaky breath, my free hand pressing over my stomach again.
